Variety (Aug 1940)

46 Wednesdayt August 14, 19ift AtESSANDRO BONCI ; Aleissandro •Bonici, 70, • selebrated Italian tenor artd . a contemporary ot Caruso, died Aug. 9; in. Milan, Italy. IJiVdowed with a ■ fine,- natural; lyric tenor, ;Bonci \escliewe the yocgtion ; Ot a shoemake^' when urged by Pielro ;• ;Mascagni, - the dompbser,, tb:. study ^ Voice,:\'; :VV ■■.^ Making, his., debut at. the ^eatrp. in. Parma; as Fentb in .Talstaff' in ^1^ Bflihcl later appeared' in concert en- gag[ements in leading cities: p£ .;the Cbntih^tit,'London arid. South Aixiert. .ica, where ,he Was : particularly^ «s?. teemed. . Seeking a .name tpi: chal- lenge..• Caruso^. Oscar . Hammerstein; retained him for his troupe: at .tbe IWanhattari ' .Opera- •Hpuse;.:; N, ; Y^/ wliere .he; debuted, in li906; : ;■ V The late impresano was. caused, mubh aniguish when Bonci abrogated his. contract . • arid.. sWitcli^ed ; to ..the .Ivietfbpolitan in WQ8 after, he. becarive estiablished as" boxoffice :fbrHanir merstein: .According to ihe tenbr'S CQritract,.. ani; 'dispute, hald to.• be settled in an .Italian cbut-tj but, Hamt merstein decided not to exercise his :pr.iyilegev .' Apparently. v ,ma.n '^bf ; terhiperamerit) Bbnci alsb.^^^^ in . imfng Mfniorr fit My Peajr. .Wl.f* (Aug. 15, 1936:> ■. WM. t. RYAW CHAS. INNESS • . (Brother) ,(8i.. ' Widow, se\Tpn. children and a. l number, of grahdchildrieri sui'vive, ..' : -W.VLTEK I;AW '''-^ Wt\lter"Xa^v; 04, stage and screen actbr, died. Aug. . 8 in Hollywood. He. 'was; a, thesp. lor 37 years and .played.heuvy roles in the early' film days .foi; • Wiiliam- Fox- at Fbrt .LeeV N. J;, wnth-.'sucli.. stiirs'::as.'Theda Bara, Cera Idi ne Earfnr and •.William. Far- riuin. •: On tlUr'stage, Law played in the original'Sign, of the Cross* com- pany, - a nd • toured: iri vaudeville, for. several years.in a playlet, 'The Seal of Silence.' ' hi Holly wood his but- standing Avork vi;ns with Eddie .Can- tor in IWJioppee,' ^.-- ^ ■ ■ . ■.. ■ ■. ;SuV;viving : ■ .■his^r.w.idbw. v.Be Marvin Law. .' \,\-\V:... :•.'-'^ ^ ■ ' GEORGE II. WliiEY .; G'eorge H. Wiley; .7^, film industry: pioneer/ died . rbcently- ■' Buffalo. Wiley, ■ last connected . \vith Film Cl.afisic. .Exchahge.. thfere',- .wa's. once .head , of siient-producing liriit which • iritfodUced'.' Pearl^^y^ and many silent western stars. In the early days, he made com- edy subjects lor Parambunt and other major distribs. r '' .Remains sent to Reno for inter- meivt; }■/■ " V • at the h.o., died of a heart attack at her home in Far Rockaway, L. I., Aug. 12. . Another son arid daughter sUrvi.ve,' •. : ■- Mother, 67. of A. Louis .Ginsberg, miariager of .. the Majestic, paterson, died in Albany Aug; 9. , ;; Bernstein Begins Anew .Cotitiriued from pare I. .('biithiued ffpiii page 1. prpval of the Ganadian. a.ulhbrities,' she said. *I \viU ask- such Canadian- born actresses and actors asRay- mbrid Mas.sey,; Not-itia Shearer, iDeanna'. Durbin and \yaiter ■Huston to particij>ate. I. am sure they^. will all joiiV.hahds.wtth 'mei' :.: Id?a;. j."?. tha.t .all. stars:would dbrta^te their services and that i 00 % ' .bf, .the receipts would be turned over to the Canadian Red : Cross. ;. \ ' ] ,] Also with i . view .to .helping the ' Canadian government jaise . vyar .re- lief furidsi M.iSs, ■Pick'tprd is Teported | to have said she . wiU' re-edft all her. 1 old filnis and . combihe the ,highr { lights into a cavalcade with a mod- ern prolpg. ■• Tpo, she^is,.expected:tp; go to Van- couver -or Victoria ' October ,or Nbvember\w.here. a .piece:© jewelry she has: .cbntributed wilt be atic- ;tibned; ''It >is: .exiiectcd . the aiictibri will raise about $25,000 for war re- lief purposes. • ; \- ;v , ■ the Met arid sailed for Italy, .angrily decia.rini;^ • the Met v.had treated him un.' LOUISE RIAL •: LoliLse Rial, 90, retired ^(Cti-ess who made :her ■ stage \ debut as Eliza in •Uncle Tom's Cabin' sbriie 62. years ago, died Aug. i9 at.her-home, in Newf York. The widow of Jay Rial, then a prominent theatrical riianager :\whp produced the 'Uncle Tpm'. ini which' she appeared, Mrs!. Rial .was active oh the Ariiericari stage for: alrno^t a half • ceritury. . Her more impoi'tant parts included, such plays: as 'Too Many'. Cobks,' . i'A . Woman's ' Way,' •Fortune's- Fool' and 'A Woman's She closed her career in, 1917 .while a member of the cast of .?The. Cin- derella Man,' A daughter, Viri.'Rial, survives. ;!FuneraI services' "\y-ere held yesterday (Tuesday) in' N. Y., tthdet. auspices of the Actors Fiirid. I riterni^rit foilbwed in t^e Fund plot, kerisico, N. .Y. : JOHl^ H. (JACk)" FILM AN Jbhii H. .(Jack) Filman, 43, radio sports cpmmentator, ' whb . was ' - garded a^ an- authority on ice.hockey a'hd lacrosse, died :in' a.; New York hospital, Monday (12) after an.illness of abpiit six months. He was believed to have been the first :tp'brbadcast ice hockey and had aired the games' -from; the Madison Square Garden . over • WMCA from 1925 to 1939. . . ; . SuryiVirig is his w^db^y. and. a step- sistei*. Par vs. Holden 'Continued from p^ge 3. LOUIS DORNAY ■ Louis. .Dbrna 64,. .. operatic' terior ahd: teacher, died at his Huntin,?tbn. L. I.; summei-. horiie Monday (12) of heart disease. . ;• ..Dorhay, svu'vived by widow^ two daughters. and. two sons, . had sung with the Royal Dutch Opera Co.. at the .Hague!- Cbverit' Garden, London, arid, in Berliti before coriiirig to the United States sbriie 15 years ago. dplph' ,,?!ield, Te.J<as, ' before filing his. demanidrfor fewer rples and . more money, using.ihiis lead assigriment, in the aviatroii;' picture as his- lever, Par's reply' was brief.; but " firm. Hblden Was informed, that he could either accept, the part or iace susr pension. Thesp ha.s! been on the Par; roster for 18 months.; doing little during the fii'st six months of his deal, for which he was paid $50 weekly. When he wient into. Columbia's 'Golden: Boy* Par bopsted the ante ..while -recent pptipn lifts have added the balance. EINAR SWAN Einar Swan, 37, compbser and ar- ranger, whb had'been in charge of, arrangements for Raymond Paige and. the .Westirighpuse. Syriiphony Orchestra, died A^g. 8 in Greenwood Lake, N. J- ' ■;. Originally ; a: ■ saxophPnistwith Tommy DPrsey airid; Vincent Lopez, he later turned to arranging and worked for Gustave Haenschen, Dave RubiribflE and the Paramount theatre, N. Y.i aniong others," in that capacity. As a composer he wrote 'When Your Lover Has Gone,* made prominent by Kate Smith, and, collaborated with Albert Stillman in cleffing' 'In the Middle of a Dream' and 'A Room With a View.* \ \ //^ His widbw and two children sur- vive. ■ . ': . JOHN GILMORE John .Gilmore, .ybcalist who wori. the. title of .'The Welsh Nightingale' during.- performances' In English /nuisic-halls. at the tui-ri .of the ,cen- ■ tvity and received a royal-purse .from - the- late; King Edward, of - Britain, died in L&nsford, Pa.,, Aug. 9. ' Since coming to Amtei-ica 30 years ago; Giihiore .wa? afTilia^d. with, a , coal company.; HARBT CARLIN y. Harry Carliri,; 48, for. 15 years a Keith; booker arid more recently a buyer for smallrtime cafes died of a heart attack Aug. 7 -at his office in the. Palace 'ftieatre Bldg.. on Broad- way. Alone when taken ill, , he was -discovered leaning over his desk gasping .for brea.th by';a client when he op.ened the dpbr. Upon the arrival of a physician he was beypnd iriedi: cal aid. Survived by /widpwr, from whom he had been separated for about four years, and two. childrieiL . Funeral services: .were heild in Brooklyn Thnrsday (8) and burial tobk place .at Mt. Hebron Cemetery, Queens. FRED E. GREEN .,. -Fre.d E. Green..: 50, veteran actor wh.b played Simdh .Legree in .'Topsy arid Eva' with' •the' Duncan Sisters two decades ago, died last week from Irijuries'' received in an ■ a .mobile accident: near his San Mateo, Cal-, home. He ■ had been working as costume custodian . on Treasure Isiarid at th« Frisco. Fair. - Widow survives'.. ■■ C. C. BRADNER \-\ C. C. Bradner, 61,' newscaster at. WWJ, Detrbit, since 1925, died sud- denly Aug. 3 as he was prepairing to leave for his vacation. Further details in radio section. ABRAHAM WAX ' Abraham Yfax, 82; owner of chain of Philadelphia thesjktreis, died at; his Atlantic City home Wednesday (7). He had- suffered a stroke a weiek ■ before." ". 'N - r---^;:, - r;-- - ■ Waxi born in Russiaj l^ontributed io •'various Palestine orgianiaatipris. and spent a . year there studying problems, of the Jews. He built the Keystone and Royal theatres, Phila- delphia, and was. interested in the- atre prbpetties in A. G./: Funei'al services held Tbursday Mrs. Louis Nottingham Cook, wife of Samuel. H.: Cook, president of Onpndaga Radib Broadcasting Corp.,' operator of WFBL, Syracuse, died suddenly. Wednesday (7) in - Syra- cuse.-; She had been ill since 1938, when she; suffered a stroke. Deaith came while ;her husband was at- tending the NAB.; convention in Frisco. . :■- ■ . Sir Hugo Gerald ; De; Bathe, 68,; second, husbiind 'pf Lily Larigtry,' died of pneumonia June 30 at Cannes France. • A-';member of one of the bldest arid weailthiest families of Britain^ .he .had rieyer appeared. oil the stage.: ; ■..■■;:. •' _.:'■;■. ■ William. J. Condon, Sr., for years rilgiitysuperirttendent of .Steel Pier, died at his home Aug.; :5! :in Atlantic City, follpwin^." a heart attack. • Sur- viyin.tf -are . -widow;* son arid, two; daughters. ■;'• v.!..-;.. ' Mrs,. Anh'a Sphine, 78, mother , of J. Myet. and Louise.'W;; Schine, of, the Schirie ftlm .theatre chain,; died at her, home in Buffalp Friday (9) following a; ibri^ iilness.;. .. \ Mother 62. of Jonas. Arnpld, in press- book department pf Paramount MARRIAGES - Dale McCarthy to Robert K. Jpslin Iri Taunton, Masis., July 29. ..; She's Charles E. McCarthy's • (20th-Fox) second daughter to. get married;at i8.: Jean Ellis to Otis Marining, iri Akron, O., July 31. Bride is a songstress; he's a comedi' -magician;. ' Natalie Hall to Edward C. Rbwe, in -CHriton,. .Gbnn.,'..Aug. 10:. Bride is legit player; -he's, ari". attorney. . . ■ Gloria Williariis to Edward Scott, in Toledb, O;, Aug.' 10, Bride Was member of the Three of Us girl -vp- cal trio, h'eiard oyer; WSPD, Toledo. I-J2len Dobley to Victor Tayipri iri Evanston. 111., Aug. 10, Bride is -with Mutual Broadcasting iri Chicago. - Betty : Gemmill to Lloyd ; West- niprelahd, in.. Regina, Sask.; Aug. 6. He's an annpuneer with CKCK, Regina. '.■:•■.'..;;:■...>:'•■•■..; - .Selma Sober to Buddy Browne in EUenville, N. Y,, Aug. 3. Both com- prise the tapXdancirtg team of Buddy and Judy Allen. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Aarbn Jbnes, Jr., son, in Chicago, Aug. 3.; Father is mem- ber of midwest film theatre firm.of Jones, Linick .8c Schaefer. Mr. arid "Mrs. Russ'Morgan, daugh- ter,. Aug. 5, iri New York. He's the band leader. ^ Mr.; arid Mrs. Charles T.. Ariton, son, Aug. 6, in Atlantic City.- Father in Ha.mid;Million Dollar Pleir (AC.) (executive. ;- ■-■■:: .•;:■'..■■.,■ Mr,.; and ; Mrs;. Mervyn Bogue, daughter; " Hollywood, Aug. 9. Father is Ish Kabibble in the Kay Kyser ;brchestra, . ;.'.7 Mr. and Mrs. Julian Ambls, son, In San Antonio, Texas, Aug. 3. ^ Father is owner and 'operator of the Royal theatre, San !Ariton ip.' . - ; - ,;. - Mr. and MrSv Ji^^ son,; in Memphis, Aug. 7: Father iis man- ager ATniversal' film exchange in Memphis. \ ' :. -; -. . ■■ . Mr. and. Mrs. Jarries War moth, daughter. . iri Hollywood, July 31.' Mother is; Laurel Carlisle of the Alms. .V;./ . ; ■:■ , ,Mr..,.;ahd Mrs: A. J;: Cohen, daughter, ■ iri Hollywood. . Aug- k 6. Father is chief pf Republic's story department. l'. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Burger, son, in Pittsburgh, Aug. 31 Father's; manager of Mt. Oli ver th e'atre there. ' : jM[r; and^-Mrs:: Lester , StepTi(er,- sbnr In' Chickgo, Aug. 7. Father is ritan- agfer of .LaSalle theatre, Chrcagb. :;!■ ': Mr. and Mrs^ 'Jo.seph Ziegler; son, Aug. 12, in. Newark. N. J. Father, fprmerly- in vdudeyille, pperates The Brppk, $urii.m'it; N. J.; mother, the former Kay Warren, was )plariist-and nitery performer. ' last , week of rehearsal of my .play, 'Mcio,' Chailes. Boyer hopes tp do it there with an- all-^tar cast lor .-w^ar.: relief. Dudley' Murphy, president of ; the Theatrie Guild of Southern Cali- fornia,- has asked my peririissiori to do the play and.naturally I granted it. Of. Course. :it..; would: be without rbyalty.* ^ Bbyer, • he; explained,, did. .'Melb!- .Vtrlien- it. was briginaily pib:>; duced in Pa.riSi playing :it.. success-:; fully -fpr two years. Biusil piithbone. I and. Edna Best; appeared " it . Brpadway, but. it failed, . . ..; ' : ; 'Few- of my .plains have been sue- ■ Cessf ut.' 1 ri: Ameri ca,' Berriste in, cbh: J tinned. 'The last one tried here was .'Promise,' which Gilbert Miller did. I - told him it~- could not Succeed, in ; America, 'that . -ypur .; .J: audiences | .wouldn't understand it. .But he wanted, to do. it, so 1 told him to go; ahead. He had orice told me, 'Henri, .1 you are; .a ;gobd directori but ter- rible playwright. . After •^'Proinise.'.i failed here I cabled, hiin* • Ariyway. I' hope you still think I'm .a good ;.di-.; rector.' -.--i-■ -;■ Hollywood, Mayltc ^1 .; BeVristehv .intends ' to " write .and possibly produce plays for Broad- ' way, but he ha.s no sci'ipt's; even' started.' Natui-ally he has idea,'? atid, being a d ram atist. bel ie ves he can ex - | pres.s himself best jn -that medium,. so. .he; hopes > he . w^ be ready, tp restirile .his writing c He is vjaguC; about films, except that he would ,like .: to .-yf,sit Hbllywpod, ^ wliich . he ,has .never seen. '''rhey ,hav.e J offered to have, me oiit. there lat their'1 expense, just.- to look around." ;;hc says. And, referring- to his financial plight,; he. a.d.ds. . 'Naturally.' T ' cept; I'm obliged tpi' - ' As. head of ithe.-French .p'ram^ SocietyBernsleiri triisd- duririg^^^ ;visits ,'tb the U. -Si to bring abbut- a' working jagreeriient-. and generally closer u.ndersta.nding between' .. his; brgahizatioriv and 'the Dramatists Guild of America. He also has many frierids' among the- leading play- wrights, of this country, particularly Robert E, Sherwood and S. N. Behr-r man. \ He tells .'of hpw. after seeing Sherwpod's 'There Shall Be -' No Night' recently! he wrote the. authbr. that; :he /had. .known fine artists he. didn't like and poor artists he- did like, but that 'you make it easy to admi.re your work/ _.;' The. dramatist- has little hope for the future of the French-theatrcv films: pr art, at leastifor a long tinie.. Even if -the Germans are" defeated arid quit France, 'he believes, the country's arts arid • letters will have to arise again -frprii. the ground. It will take several generations, he predicts. As' for himself,> he has- no idea of whether or not belli ever see his .theatre again'Not.; as long as the Germans are in Paris,' he says'. ; : Won't Talk Politics -. - \ Bernstein refuses to discu.ss poii- tics. '*It -would be Impertinent to do- so ;* the country which has sb .generously offere.d.riie its hospitality and shelter,': be explairi.s. . 'Besides. it would be resientedr-rand rightly so.' The Americans should-make tip their own rninds what their course ;should be. "They .will, decide what is right fpr. them. ' ••:■' ; In speaking of his theatre. Bern- stein's voice displays the pride pf a father talking of his only son. Finished only last January, the house cost a fortune and ..was the finest in the world, ' he says. 'I believe in small theatres.* he points out, 'and this had only abput I06 seats, with a balcony and gallery. It had been a film house,, but I rebuilt it, making it .much smaller. It. -was. the most beau- tiful and luxurious 'theatre I have • ever seen.. I haven't, heard what has become of it.* . ; ' ■.- : - . r \ : . The theatre, Le.s Ambassadeur.s, opened in January.v^ith Bern.stein's latest; play, 'Elvire,' anti-Nazi drama about an Austrian couritess refugee ; in Paris,: starring: Elvire Potiescu.Although; ticket prices Were much.: higher than in other Paris theatres, the hbiise did capac- ity business every night until, the German invasion of the Lowlands; - when attendance fell off, However, it\r?mairied open uritil the. Gerrnans were .within a few miles, of Paris,; .when the company went to Tburs; ■ ' ' 2,000. on Boat for. 120 1 ;• ; -v After: a few days'there, Bernstein went to Bordeaux and flihally ob- tained passage on ,a bbat leaving for England. 'You hayc; probably read about; that trip,*-; he says. 'There wert 2;000 of us on a vessel built to; ac- comnipdate 120. G^^^ describable, with millionaires, Mates- men, fpreign diplbmals, " fambus artists arid .yvritcriS ampng the horde huddled on deck; We were machirie^ gunned in the harbor, but weren't molested after that, although I don't I know' why, as we would have been '■'ea.sy...victims.. ^ I 'It : took v<t .flye days tb reach l-Ehgland. The ship was too crowded for anyone, .to: lie down;: everi-on th« deck, so no one slept, "■ Sanitary ac > ! cpmmbdations were' alrnpst rion- { existent, sb conditions sopri becami sickening. It was a nightmare, par- I ticularly fpr. the women. I have a i woijnd pri-: my chest which in sup- ■ j ppsed to be dressed every day. i neyer dared pperi iny .shirt ; during- [ (he trip, so when I finally landed in I New York from London,. .1; had .-a I slight case; of bl.bpd^pbisbnirig^ j had to go tb the hbspital.' I In his career of 40 years iri; th« /Paris theatre, Bernstein has written - 1' scores ; of plays. The. city of Pari.<i. even named a street in; his' honor, j He boiight his first theatre, .Bouffes I Pari.sibris, in ;.19U arid bpciated it uiilil he went into the French arrhy [ in :1914; In 1919 he^bpught' thi 100- ; year-old; 'Gymnase, . rebuilt it and .. ; operated ;it until last January^ when. \ he ' opened his: new Les Aiiibag^^-- I dpurs;. in the Place de. |a Concorde, • ;'I'll always remember your. Pari,? I cbrrespondent's review of,my. play at. I the bpehirig of my.-new theati e; 'Old } Bern'steih ;has . dbne it .- again,; ;lia 1.wrote.; •;-'01d .. BernsteirV,*: ., ib>W I: laughed at. that. . \ - . Wanger Coritlniied front' page 1. terial i he' prdered put, -iiitoi a hlgh-i w.ay.:; Guy is. rijever seen ■ but a news- paper headline in the film identifies h mi ;as.'Clarence.."Bucitriiariv • Whil* he is' .being .carried 'but;-in a;, coffin^ Edwi A>^hbid remarks: -'This, is the .first tiriie Buckman has.ever;becii oil the. level'.';;,■■ La.st week UA rece,ived a com- plaint from' an attorney in Bucks GOiintyi Pa., 'whose riatiie, it seems,, .is Gl.arence Buckman. Not only that; but. -'he. served as. chairnrian of /the higiiway .committee while, "a iri ember pf the Pennsylvania- state senaie. " No Mo gal. action has been" taken yet by Buckman,; although iitVless a satisfactory; settlement cari-be niad* out of court such a step, is antici- pated. Suit,, it is fearied, wiU;be;par-r ticularly hard to;. defend because of the fact the 'Buckman In the iilni ia not. seen. Otherwise if could l)» ppinted out that the character in th* picture obviously doesn't; look rik«'. 1-lim- . : '': ■ ■ . ■ Another similar.. 'Wanger oitioi- dence occiired; a couple-years ago on 'I Met My Lbye Again.' Locale wa!! Verhiorit. and • thie town of Bratlle- borp -ivas riieritibriedj although that wasn't the actual scene of-.the story. At any rate, the .writer',, seeking. a good old New England name, picked .Bradley and had one of the charac- ters rbmafk: 'Thpse cocktail-diink'ng. fa.>itTtalking, nitrwitted BracJleys.' Sure! enpugh, up sprarig a family- named Bradley in; Brattleboro. thiea members bf' the clan sued for a total of -$100.000.. Claim was settled out of court for $375. .; Despite; careful checking on -such names, . all- cpmpahies occa.sionally: run into difficulty/as it in naturally .impQ.ssible to' page through every telephone bqpk and directory in th« country. Wanger, however, with four or five such scrapes to his credit, seems to be particularly unlucky on these cbiricidenciss. ; Disclairiiers . of responsibility, which all cbmpanie.1 now use at the beginning of pictures are' yirtually meaningless, as a . legal defense^ • Roach Wins in .P.A. Suit Lps; Angeles, Aug. 13. Hal Rpach won a decision in Su- perior' court suit brpught by Marion Kerby. who. claimed she was dam- aged $50,000 worth by. a; leter sent from the studio as a publicity stunt; for the picture, Topper Takes :«■ Trii?.' .'■-. .- :■■ .; The letter,, signed Marion Kerby, .read: ^Dearest: 'Don't breathe it to « soul, but i*in back in Los Angele.1 and more curipus than ev^r ta se» you.. Remember how I .cut up about a year ago?. Well I'ln raring to gp again, and believe me I'nj in tit mood lor fun.' ... .' ;', Court ruled that 'Mat-ion Kerby was a' fictional., character^,: played; ht the picture by Constance Bennettr and that the actual Miss Kerby iwa "rib7legai; comeTj£tck, -everi t^ 006, letters had been mailed. Four Irikspots, having cbncluiied « 16 ■ week stay at the Little Raffl- skeller, Philly; start a four mf.. str^tch at Chicago's Black Ha^s^k jrOT^^ taurarit Aug; 24. . .